Tag Archives: Kelly Ingram Park

Like Father, Like Son

Posted on April 6, 2009 | Leave a comment

Terminal, Earl Hilliard Jr.

Earl Hilliard Jr. shares a moment with his father and former holder of the 7^th Congressional District seat, Earl Hilliard Sr., at Kelly Ingram Park Monday morning after a press conference announcing the junior Hilliard’s candidacy that seat. Hillard Sr. lost his seat to Artur Davis in 2003 who Hilliard Jr. wants to replace. The senior Hilliard held the seat for 10 years and was the first black congressman from Alabama since reconstruction. Earl Hilliard Jr. is a first term State Rep. and was recently named freshman legislator of the year by the House Democratic Caucus.

Photo: Bob Farley/f8Photo.org

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Posted in politics

Tagged 7th Congressional District, AL, Alabama, Artur Davis, Birmingham, Campaign, Earl Hilliard Jr., Kelly Ingram Park, politics

Travelogue: Preservation in Pink looks at B’ham’s history

Posted on March 11, 2009 | Leave a comment

Preservation in Pink contributors Kaitlin O’Shea and Vinny Healy recently visited Birmingham for a few days, getting a chance to take in some of our historic sites. Of course, this means a series of posts on the preservation-issues site, beginning with this one on Kelly Ingram Park and its historic surroundings. It should be an interesting series.

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Posted in Travelogue

Tagged AL, Alabama, Birmingham, blog, Kaitlin O'Shea, Kelly Ingram Park, Preservation in Pink, series, Vinny Healy

An honor long overdue

Posted on January 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

That would be the best way to describe the ceremony scheduled to take place at noon today in Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park. Today a plaque will be installed honoring the ministers that inspired the Ministers Kneeling statue.

Photo: Preachers praying. acnatta/Flickr.

Participants in the rededication ceremony will include representatives from Mayor Larry Langford’s office; Mrs. Fred Shuttlesworth; Ms. Odessa Woolfolk; Bonita Conley, famed operatic and gospel singer; plus members of the families of the ministers whose actions in 1963 inspired the statue – Rev. N. H. Smith Jr. of New Baptist Church, Rev. A.D. King of First Baptist Church of Ensley and Rev. John T. Porter of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. Today’s Birmingham News provides the background story about why today’s ceremony is taking place.

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Posted in history

Tagged 35203, ceremony, Civil Rights, downtown, Kelly Ingram Park, Ministers Kneeling, rededication, statue

City plans inauguration event for Kelly Ingram Park

Posted on November 21, 2008 | Leave a comment

One point that few people have brought up so far is that the nation will celebrate the 80^th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. just one day before it formally swears in its first African-American president (King’s actual birth date is January 15).

Now, considering how difficult it is to find even a one-way ticket to Washington, DC at a reasonable price for the January 20^th events (possibly due to early estimates of at least 1 million people already making plans to attend), Birmingham city officials are planning to bring the inauguration to The Magic City – particularly historic Kelly Ingram Park.

This would undoubtedly also bring renewed national focus to the city’s annual events for the slain Civil Rights leader (including the Unity Breakfast). It also doesn’t seem to be nearly as controversial as plans currently underway in San Francisco for a similar event being organized by NextArts.org.

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Posted in Election '08

Tagged Alabama, Birmingham, Dr. King, inauguration, Kelly Ingram Park, simulcast